Lighter structure for gas burners



Nov. 4, 1941. E. H. MUELLER 2,261,270

LIGHTER STRUCTURE FOR GAS BURNERS I Filed March 22, 1940 0 o o o 0 :0 o oo o o J0 3 z 7 8 o o o 10 Q I J 2 1 0o 4 INVENTOR. ,fi'v'rz'n 7?. Mueller ATTORNEY .9.

Patented Nov. 4, 1941 UNITED v TATES PATENT OlfFlCE LIGHTER STRUCTURE FOR GAS BURNERS Ervin H. Mueller, Grosse Pointe Park, Application March 22, 1940, Serial No. 325,348

This invention relates to a lighter structure 4 Claims.

for gas burners, and it has to do particularly with an arrangement which involves the mounting of flash tubes of an automatic lighter.

It is, of course, an old expedient to place a. burner for a pilot flame, which is designed to burn substantially constantly, in some intermediate position as regards the plurality of gas burners and to extend a so-called flash tube from a point in proximity to the pilot flame to each burner for igniting purposes. When the valve for a particular burner is opened the gas flows through the flash tube and is ignited by the pilot flame, and there is a flash back through the tube to ignite the burner.

It is an object of the invention to provide an improved connection between a flash tube and a pilot flame housing. A further object is to have an arrangement which is simple in structure and economical to manufacture. A further object is to provide a connection which enables the removal or attachment of a. flash tube to a pilot flame housing without disturbing any other flash tubes which may be attached thereto. Moreover, the flash tubes are slidably mounted on the circular housing and may extend radially in any direction from the pilot flame to a burner. It is a further object of the invention to provide a flexible connection so that a difference in elevation between the pilot flame housing and a burner may be compensated for.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent during the course of the fol1owing description.

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a top plan view illustrating a plurality of burners and the lighter structure associated therewith.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged localized view of a pilot flame housing and the inner ends of a plurality.

' portions of a flash tube and the pilot flame housing.

Fig. '7 shows an alternative means of installing or removing a flash tube from the pilot flame housing.

prising a housing I, a gas supply pipe 2, a plurality of burners 3 and their respective valves 4 for controlling the admission of gas from conduit 2. A gas pipe 6 extends from the conduit 2 to supply gas to the pilot flame. A pilot flame housing 5 is shown with radially extending flash tubes l0 attached thereto.

In its preferred form the pilot flame housing is a cup shaped metal stamping provided with a central opening I for the pilot flame and air apertures 8. The housing is provided with a circular wall which is preferably substantially vertical. The upper edge l2 of this wall takes the form of an open inward roll as illustrated in Figs. 3, 4, 6 and '7. This roll formation may be continuous around the entire circumference. but in the preferred form it is cut away as at 9 to provide a notch.

It is to be understood that the pilot flame housing forms a support for the flash tubes I0 and it is not necessary that it actually house the flame.

The flash tubes are preferably circular in cross section. The inner end is provided with a depression II and a hook formed by a lip l3 extending from the free end of the depressed portion of the tube, the said lip being bent backward over part of the said depressed portion as illustrated in Figs. 3, 4, 5, 6 and 7. These parts are so proportioned in size that they are adapted to slidably interlock with the open roll formation on the pilot flame housing. Fig. 3 illustrates the assembled structure. It is thus apparent that the tube may slide around the circumference of the housing but cannot be disengaged by a vertical movement, for the lip is under the roll. Axial movement of the tube in a substantially horizontal plane is restricted in one direction by the rear wall of the depression in the tube contacting the roll on the housing and in the other direction by the engagement of th lip and roll (see Fig. 3).

The tube may be installed at any point on the circumferential roll of the housing. By placing the tube in a steeply inclined position the lip may be inserted in the open portion of the roll. Rotation of the tube to a substantially horizontal position interlocks the lip and depression of the tube with the roll of the housing as shown in Fig. 3. Removal of the tube is a mere reversal of this installation. Fig. 4 illustrates this installation or removal. It should be noted that this arrangement permits insertion or removal of a flash tube at any point on the circum- In Fig. 1 is shown a plan view of a stove comference of the housing and it is not necessary to disturb other flash tubes mounted on the housing.

Where the notch 8 is provided, an alternative means of connecting the tube and housing is provided. The lip l3 may be inserted under the rolled edge I! of the housing by entrance through notch 9. Fig. '7 illustrates this.

The flash tube may be rotated slightly to an inclined position to accommodate a burner at either a higher or lower elevation than the pilot flame, as the parts will remain interlocked until the tube is inclined to near a vertical position.

I claim:

1. In a lighter structure for one or more gas burners, gas outlet means for a pilot flame, a support member adjacent the said means having an upwardly extending wall substantially surrounding said means, the upper edge of the member being fashioned to extend laterally relative to the wall and forming a substantially continuous hook formation extending around the said means, a flash tube for each burner, one end of each flash tube having an exteriorly formed depression defined by a bottom part and a wall extending from the bottom part to the periphery of the tube, and a hook member extending from the extreme end of the tube backwardly toward said wall, said hook member being detachably engageable under the continuous hook formation on the support member for connecting the flash tube to the support member.

2. In a lighter structure for one or more gas burners, gas outlet means for a pilot flame, a cup shaped member having an upwardly extending wall substantially surrounding said means, the upper edge of the cup shaped member being fashioned into an open roll formation with the free edge extending inwardly of the cup and providing a substantially circumferential hook formation, a flash tube for each burner, each flash tube having a flattened part at one end with a wall section extending from the flattened part to the periphery of the tube, and a hook extending backwardly from the extreme end of the tube toward the said wall section, said hook being detachably engageable with the circumferential hook formation on the cup by swinging the tube substantially in a vertical plane and being held in engagement when the tube is substantially horizontal by the positioning of the roll formation between the hook and the wall section of the tube.

3. In a lighter structure for one or-more gas burners, gas outlet means for a pilot flame, a cup shaped member having an upwardly extending wall substantially surrounding said means, the upper edge of the cup shaped member being fashioned into an open roll formation with the free edge extending laterally from the wall and providing a substantially circumferential hook formation, a flash tube for each burner, each flash tube having an exteriorly formed depression at one end defined by a wall section, and a hook extending axially of the tube and spaced from the bottom of the depression, said hook being detachably engageable under a circumferential hook formation on the cup shaped member, and said hooked engagement being maintained by the positioning of the roll formation in the depression by the said wall section.

4. In a lighter for one or more gas burners,

means for supporting a pilot flame, a support including a wall extending around a pilot flame and disposed in an up and down direction, the upper edge of the wall being fashioned with an inturned edge of circumferential extent and overlying the inner surface of the wall, a flash tube for extending to each burner, each flash tube adjacent one end having parts providing a catch formation exterior of the tube for slidably accommodating the inturned edge and for underlying said inturned edge with the inturned edge exterior of the tube to prevent separation of the tube from the support by relative vertical movement, the part underlying the inturned edge being adapted to be disengaged therefrom for separation of the tube and support by swinging the end of the tube remote from the support upwardly in a substantially vertical plane.

ERVIN H. MUELLER. 

